Clam shell type buckets are known. In general, clam shell buckets include a back or rearward frame and an opposed shell or movable frame. The back or rearward frame is attached to the loader arms of the tractor, and the shell or movable frame rotates relative to the back jaw to provide a bucket for scooping or a pincer for grabbing and lifting relatively small items including logs and unbaled silage.
Attempts have been made to improve the usefulness of clam shell buckets in a farming environment. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,477 to Blair, web plates can be installed beneath tines so that the spaces between the tines are covered, and side plates can be attached so that a loader can function as a scoop. When a bucket loading operation is completed, and the device is once again required for use as a silage grab, the plates are removed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,484 to Wilman describes an apparatus which can be used as a silage grab or as a bucket loader without having to fit or remove additional components.